What to do next? to get direct perks

[Add-On-Itis]

I would buy 150 points and not really consider going up to 300 points at any resort direct since you don't care about booking the newer resorts. No need to sell PVB resale if that's the case either.

then in that case does it matter poly or riv?

 

[PolyRob]

then in that case does it matter poly or riv?

Well, if it were me, I would personally get PVB since it works better with your resale PVB contract in the 7-11 month window and the dues are lower.

 

[atthebeachclub]

- Restaurants: Poly has restaurants I would eat at every day: Cpt. Cooks, Kona's, Wailulu, and I'm going to put Tambu Lounge on here as well, as many times, I've made a meal out of wings and a mai tai. It's far more limited over at Riv. Primo Piatto is great--in my opinion the best resort QS on property. But once you move beyond that you don't have a lot of daily dining options. There's topolino's. As a signature restaurant, that might be a once-per-trip offering for me: plus, the menu is limited. (The tomahawk, if they have it, is fabulous.). And then there's a bar and a coffee shop (also, admittedly, one of the better coffee shops on property). Poly also has once-a-trip dining options, specifically 'Ohana, but it has much more beyond this.

I'm not a huge Riviera defender, but they are also easy walking distance to Caribbean Beach, which has some great dining options.

 

[Sandisw]

I'm not a huge Riviera defender, but they are also easy walking distance to Caribbean Beach, which has some great dining options.

And, the Skyliner takes you pretty quickly to the Boardwalk area which has a few nice options as well!

 

[kboo]

Some other Poly pros I would add include:

• Full service dining at the resort including two table service restaurants in addition to the main character breakfast/unique dinner offering
• Three stores in the lobby (larger than La Boutique)
• MK Fireworks (including MNSSHP, MVMCP, NYE, Fourth of July, etc) from your resort
• Electrical Water Pageant
• Best monorail resort for Epcot access (walk to TTC)
• Lower dues

And two Riviera pros I would add:

• Best character breakfast on property in your resort
• Four more years on the deed compared to PVB

*Another Riviera pro, if fireworks matter: many/most resort view rooms see the Epcot Ball and both EP and MK fireworks.

A con I would also add to Riviera is that the Skyliner connects you to a moderate and two values. Nothing wrong with that, but you only have access to one additional table service whereas the monorail has multiple signatures, table services, and lounges.

Agree with monorail access to great restaurants. It's why we own at BLT and VGF. At RIV, we love walking to Caribbean Beach, and Sebastian's Bistro is a fun arrival day dinner. Another arrival day thing is to go to the Boardwalk area or Epcot for dinner.

@Judique You're right. If she don't approve, it will never happen. But that is also why I want to create a list, in case I like RIV how I'm going to sell it to her.

I have a friend who put together a powerpoint for her spouse. #nojudgment

- Views. Except for the lower, (a) backside of the Tower and (b) the parking lot side of Pago, there are no terrible views in DVC Poly. And with luck, you can avoid these with reservation / check-in requests. The entire back side of RIV is not very commanding in terms of its views.

- Overall vibe. And this is where people can simply disagree on personal preferences. So all is good. Outside of the GCH, I find Poly the most relaxing resort on property. It's beautifully landscaped. Views of Seven Seas Lagoon--which also means views of the fireworks and water pageant. The firework views at RIV pale (oh, look it's that, way over there.).

I'm not sure what you mean by "back side" - those are the preferred view rooms, and the "front" is resort view, which isn't super interesting during the day (Epcot ball and Guardians building in "go away blue"), but at night once you're 3rd or 4th floor or above, you have the Epcot ball lit up, plus fireworks. I agree that 1st or 2nd floor RIV views aren't great, but the one time we were on the 1st floor, we could still see some EP fireworks, and it was very convenient to get around.

How I got here was the AP.

Disney Math.

 

[disneylandtour]

I'm not a huge Riviera defender, but they are also easy walking distance to Caribbean Beach, which has some great dining options.

I did think about that. But also, when talking about Poly, I didn't include the dining options at GF, which are about as close as Caribbean to RIV.

 

[Add-On-Itis]

updated list

Pros of Poly

1. No resale restrictions
2. A lower loss of $$$ if need to sell
3. Convenient to MK
4. On the monorail loop
5. A lot of good food on the Monorail loop
6. Lower fee = better SAP
7. I already have 160 resale points; this will be less trouble. Just add 150 points and call it a day
8. Need 11 months to book a resort view 1-bedroom
9. Fully Service food options (Kona Cafe, Wailulu)
10. Walk to GF for all the restaurants there
11. MK fireworks view with music

Cons of Poly

1. Crowded Pools, Lobby, QS
2. Not relaxing feel
3. High point chart
4. No QS at PIT
5. Higher PPP
6. No GV
7. Tourist destination
8. Hard to book 1 1-bedroom
9. No dedicated 2-bedroom resort view

Pros of Riv

1. Convenient to HS and Epcot
2. Lots of food options in Epcot
3. The quietness of the resort compared to Poly
4. All in one building
5. Lower PPP
6. Has the all-inclusive atmosphere
7. Have GV
8. Skyliner
9. Relaxing feel
10. Close to 2 parks
11. Not a tourist destination
12. Good resort view
13. amazing calmness
14. Easy to find chairs at Pooly
15. Good food at the resort
16. Dedicated busses
17. 5 minutes to get from any one spot at the resort to another.
18. Best character breakfast
19. 4 more years on the deed

Cons of Riv

1. Resale restrictions
2. A higher loss of $$$ if you need to sell
3. Higher fee
4. If I like it, I will need to sell my Poly points
5. Do not need 11 months to book a 1-bedroom

Let me know if I missed anything!

 

[tx911]

updated list

Pros of Poly

1. No resale restrictions
2. A lower loss of $$$ if need to sell
3. Convenient to MK
4. On the monorail loop
5. A lot of good food on the Monorail loop
6. Lower fee = better SAP
7. I already have 160 resale points; this will be less trouble. Just add 150 points and call it a day
8. Need 11 months to book a resort view 1-bedroom
9. Fully Service food options (Kona Cafe, Wailulu)
10. Walk to GF for all the restaurants there
11. MK fireworks view with music

Cons of Poly

1. Crowded Pools, Lobby, QS
2. Not relaxing feel
3. High point chart
4. No QS at PIT
5. Higher PPP
6. No GV
7. Tourist destination
8. Hard to book 1 1-bedroom
9. No dedicated 2-bedroom resort view

Pros of Riv

1. Convenient to HS and Epcot
2. Lots of food options in Epcot
3. The quietness of the resort compared to Poly
4. All in one building
5. Lower PPP
6. Has the all-inclusive atmosphere
7. Have GV
8. Skyliner
9. Relaxing feel
10. Close to 2 parks
11. Not a tourist destination
12. Good resort view
13. amazing calmness
14. Easy to find chairs at Pooly
15. Good food at the resort
16. Dedicated busses
17. 5 minutes to get from any one spot at the resort to another.
18. Best character breakfast
19. 4 more years on the deed

Cons of Riv

1. Resale restrictions
2. A higher loss of $$$ if you need to sell
3. Higher fee
4. If I like it, I will need to sell my Poly points
5. Do not need 11 months to book a 1-bedroom

Let me know if I missed anything!

Idk if you missed anything, but I feel like with "the quietness", "relaxing feel", and "amazing calmness", you might be padding the Riv pros just a bit

 

[Add-On-Itis]

Idk if you missed anything, but I feel like with "the quietness", "relaxing feel", and "amazing calmness", you might be padding the Riv pros just a bit

haha just presented this pro/con list to DW.

She said RIV wins if there were no resale restrictions.

 

[tx911]

haha just presented this pro/con list to DW.

She said RIV wins if there were no resale restrictions.

Smart lady. Without restrictions I think Riv would have sold out some time ago. It's a great resort and I'm actually glad I could pick up some more Riv on the cheap via resale to add to or free up my direct Riv points. Of course, the restrictions will have zero impact on you until and unless you sell, and exactly how much of an impact is hard to predict.

It's really a tough decision!

 

[airjay75]

She said RIV wins if there were no resale restrictions.

You should definitely still stay/visit to make sure you agree with us RIV lovers. That said, on the resale restrictions themselves, as @tx911 said, they only matter if you sell. And, if you sell 20+ years from now, none of us really know what the resale value of Poly vs. RIV vs. other resorts will look like at that point. If I were betting money on which of RIV vs. PVB resale value in 2045 will have the greater value, I'd bet on Poly, but not by a lot. The 2042 resorts will be gone. RIV resale may be a bargain compared to whatever reimagined BCV/BWV that Disney decides to do. And, what if PVB, once it is sold out and fully declared, is fairly easy to book at the 7-month mark? Maybe CCV with the longer contract will be more economical to buy and book PVB than PVB resale itself. The future is uncertain. None of us know with certainly.

The point I'm making - you're spending 5 figures (in my case, I spent 6 figures on RIV). Don't buy based on some theoretical resale value 20+ years from now. Buy where you'll be most happy staying from now into the future.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I would never buy something as expensive as a direct DVC contract that my wife has made clear on multiple occasions that they don’t want to buy into. I don’t care how nice it is or what pro/con list I can source from the internet …. it’s not worth it.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I’m going to disagree with the consensus that RIV bring restricted doesn’t impact the OP until they sell— it’s not true because it already means they can’t use their PVB points at RIV at all (and it will be hard to combine at PVB at 7mo if they want the bigger units, given the unique ratio of studios to villas).

I have 200 points or less in 3 different WDW contracts (ironically one does share a membership with my DLR contract), if I could do it again I’d want more points that can be easily combined within the 7mo mark.

 

[MyDogTink]

updated list

Pros of Poly

1. No resale restrictions
2. A lower loss of $$$ if need to sell
3. Convenient to MK
4. On the monorail loop
5. A lot of good food on the Monorail loop
6. Lower fee = better SAP
7. I already have 160 resale points; this will be less trouble. Just add 150 points and call it a day
8. Need 11 months to book a resort view 1-bedroom
9. Fully Service food options (Kona Cafe, Wailulu)
10. Walk to GF for all the restaurants there
11. MK fireworks view with music

Cons of Poly

1. Crowded Pools, Lobby, QS
2. Not relaxing feel
3. High point chart
4. No QS at PIT
5. Higher PPP
6. No GV
7. Tourist destination
8. Hard to book 1 1-bedroom
9. No dedicated 2-bedroom resort view

Pros of Riv

1. Convenient to HS and Epcot
2. Lots of food options in Epcot
3. The quietness of the resort compared to Poly
4. All in one building
5. Lower PPP
6. Has the all-inclusive atmosphere
7. Have GV
8. Skyliner
9. Relaxing feel
10. Close to 2 parks
11. Not a tourist destination
12. Good resort view
13. amazing calmness
14. Easy to find chairs at Pooly
15. Good food at the resort
16. Dedicated busses
17. 5 minutes to get from any one spot at the resort to another.
18. Best character breakfast
19. 4 more years on the deed

Cons of Riv

1. Resale restrictions
2. A higher loss of $$$ if you need to sell
3. Higher fee
4. If I like it, I will need to sell my Poly points
5. Do not need 11 months to book a 1-bedroom

Let me know if I missed anything!

I see you compared availability for 1 BRs. I will add that Poly 1 BR has 2 full bathrooms whereas RIV doesn't

 

[airjay75]

I would never buy something as expensive as a direct DVC contract that my wife has made clear on multiple occasions that they don’t want to buy into. I don’t care how nice it is or what pro/con list I can source from the internet …. it’s not worth it.

I was under the impression that OP's wife doesn't like RIV's resale restrictions, not that she doesn't like RIV itself (I think they've only ever seen it from the Skyliner, never actually visited). Combined with the fact that they don't seem to really love Poly, seems to me that a stay or visit to RIV is worth it to form a more solid opinion for themselves. But, yeah, definitely don't buy based on an internet pro/con list if your spouse is predisposed against something.

I’m going to disagree with the consensus that RIV bring restricted doesn’t impact the OP until they sell— it’s not true because it already means they can’t use their PVB points at RIV at all (and it will be hard to combine at PVB at 7mo if they want the bigger units, given the unique ratio of studios to villas).

I have 200 points or less in 3 different WDW contracts (ironically one does share a membership with my DLR contract), if I could do it again I’d want more points that can be easily combined within the 7mo mark.

That's a good point, especially if OP were to keep their resale PVB points. That said, I think OP has stated they don't really like Poly all that much and prefers to stay elsewhere (BCV as I recall). If they're already using their PVB as SAP and would likely use any direct PVB as SAP, then they're not going to really benefit from home resort priority there. Of course, direct PVB is clearly the better SAP option than direct RIV. Still, I'd rather have both if possible - direct points at a resort I love that I can also use as SAP when I want. Maybe RIV will fit that bill, maybe it won't.

 

[Add-On-Itis]

I was under the impression that OP's wife doesn't like RIV's resale restrictions, not that she doesn't like RIV itself (I think they've only ever seen it from the Skyliner, never actually visited). Combined with the fact that they don't seem to really love Poly, seems to me that a stay or visit to RIV is worth it form a more solid opinion for themselves. But, yeah, definitely don't buy based on an internet pro/con list if your spouse is predisposed against something.


That's a good point, especially if OP were to keep their resale PVB points. That said, I think OP has stated they don't really like Poly all that much and prefers to stay elsewhere (BCV as I recall). If they're already using their PVB as SAP and would likely use any direct PVB as SAP, then they're not going to really benefit from home resort priority there. Of course, direct PVB is clearly the better SAP option than direct RIV. Still, I'd rather have both if possible - direct points at a resort I love that I can also use as SAP when I want. Maybe RIV will fit that bill, maybe it won't.

I might have worded it poorly.

She likes RIV based on the pros.

But doesn't like the resale restriction.

But DW wants to visit it in April and will decide then.

 

[bakerworld]

They are not selling direct at where I want to stay now. I would like BC or BLT direct. I wouldn't pay $280 a point direct at BLT either.

We ended up with our last 35 points at BC because during a cruise we told the DVC group the only place we were interested was BC. Two months later we get a call from a miscellaneous DVC guide that they have a 'note' we want 35 BC points and they were willing to sell us them. Whoa!! Something to consider if you don't mind the cost.

Our first Disney resort back in the 70's was the Poly but after that first couple of years we couldn't afford it anymore. We found the Poly the most costly Disney cash reservation venue (more that GF!) so when DVC took over a few of the long houses we were thrilled. We first joined DVC with Kidani points but we didn't stay there for 3 years. We thought it was dark and far. During the pandemic Jambo was eerie - kinda Haunted House/Hotel California vibe with everything closed and one person for all the Lobby services (kept singing to myself, "Check out any time you want but you can never leave."). None of our kids like it but we've hung onto it because the Value 1B are CHEAP. So are the Value Studio's but they're never available. Plus the resale value is the same as we purchased in '08. LOL

 

[VGCgroupie]

But DW wants to visit it in April and will decide then.

I think waiting is the best option but it’s good to know all of these pros and cons up front and then in April just let it be based off pure emotion not these other things.

Visiting just may seal the deal. I was 110% sure that buying a 2042 was a bad idea and that no resort is worth it. Well I stayed at Boardwalk and that quickly changed my mind.

 

[tx911]

I’m going to disagree with the consensus that RIV bring restricted doesn’t impact the OP until they sell— it’s not true because it already means they can’t use their PVB points at RIV at all (and it will be hard to combine at PVB at 7mo if they want the bigger units, given the unique ratio of studios to villas).

I have 200 points or less in 3 different WDW contracts (ironically one does share a membership with my DLR contract), if I could do it again I’d want more points that can be easily combined within the 7mo mark.

This is a very valid point. It would be super irritating not to be able to combine at 7 months, and would probably be enough to tip the scales to Poly for me in the OP's situation.

 

[Sandisw]

This is a very valid point. It would be super irritating not to be able to combine at 7 months, and would probably be enough to tip the scales to Poly for me in the OP's situation.

To add, as a person who loves RIV, a restricted resort, having resale points that can’t be used is not fun.

I sold a year after buying BLT thinking it wasn’t going to be a big deal.

The use of RIV points and potential loss of value doesn’t impact a RIV owner for those points until they sell.

But the use of resale points owned certianly impact an owner because they can’t be used there.